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Home , Eurasian lynx

TERENSKA NOTICA / FIELD NOTE 45

Evidence of the Brown from the data of culled in (Slovenian Forest Service & Dept. of Biology, ( arctos) tracking the Biotechnical Faculty, unpublished data), this Eurasian (Lynx lynx) on would correspond to a male bear, weighing approximately 170 kg (min-max: 110-260 kg). the Snežnik plateau, Slovenia Although it had been observed before that a followed a Eurasian Lynx track in OPAŽANJE SLEDENJA RJAVEGA MEDVEDA Slovenia (F. Kljun, I. Kos, M. Krofel, T. Marinčič, (URSUS ARCTOS) EVRAZIJSKEMU RISU unpublished data), to our knowledge this has never been suitably documented in the literature. (LYNX LYNX) NA SNEŽNIŠKI PLANOTI Blažič (1997) reported on two instances of a bear walking along a lynx track at Velika gora near Ribnica, however, in these cases the bear walked Miha KROFEL1 and Ivan KOS in the opposite direction than the lynx. Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Snow tracking in revealed that Ljubljana, Slovenia; 1E-mail: [email protected] (Gulo gulo) and red follow lynx track in order to locate and scavenge on its kill Between 27th and 30th January 2007, one of the (Haglund 1996). It was also reported that Coyotes authors (M.K.) was snow tracking a Eurasian Lynx ( latrans) and red often track Grey (Lynx lynx), probably a male, over the Snežnik (Canis lupus) to their prey (Paquet 1991, plateau of the northern Dinaric Mountains in Selva 2004). Searching for prey remains may also Slovenia. Tracking data were obtained with the aid be the reason why bear followed lynx in our case. of a handheld GPS and all comments by the It is possible that the bear smelled a scent of observer were recorded on a dictaphone. On the carrion in the lynx footprints, as the lynx had last day of tracking – it was near Ždrocle (1478 m earlier fed on a juvenile , which it killed a. s. l.) in the south-eastern part of the plateau – it on a previous night. It is known that in Slovenia was noticed that an adult Brown Bear (Ursus brown bears relatively often feed on carcasses of arctos) came upon a lynx track and started to killed by Eurasian lynx (Krofel 2006). follow it (Fig. 1). The bear clearly followed the lynx Preliminary results show that by for 692 meters (Fig. 2). It kept close to its track all brown bears may have an important effect on a the way, except at two points, where a track of a rate of the Eurasian lynx in the northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and a Dinaric Mountains (Krofel et al., in prep.). Further (Sus scrofa) crossed the lynx’s track (points A and studies would be needed to determine how often C in Fig. 2, respectively). The bear followed both bears find lynx prey by means of following their tracks for a few meters, perhaps temporarily tracks. mistaking it for a lynx, but then returned and started to follow the lynx track again. Several more Literature tracks of wild boars, chamois, and ( Blažič M. (1997): [Winter activity and interactions vulpes) crossed the lynx path, but except for those among large carnivores in the area of two instances, the bear did not pay attention to Ribniška Velika gora (Slovenia)], graduation them. At one point (B), the lynx turned around and thesis. Oddelek za biologijo, Univerza v back-tracked its own trail for 15 m, and the bear Ljubljani, Ljubljana, 125 pp. [in Slovenian with did the same. After tracking the lynx for almost 700 English abstract] meters, the bear lay down, as was evident from the prints in the snow (D). Afterwards it headed due S- Haglund B. 1966: [Winter habits of the Lynx (Lynx SW, leaving the lynx track, which continued due SE lynx L.) and (Gulo gulo L.) as towards the Croatian border. Both tracks were revealed by tracking in the snow]. Viltrevy 4/3: fresh, less than 24 hrs old. From the overlapped 81-229. [in Swedish with English summary] footprints it could be ascertained that the bear had walked after the lynx. The width of the central Krofel M. (2006): [Predation and feeding habits of (interdigital) pad on the fore foot of the bear was Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Slovenian Dinaric 14.5 cm. According to the correlation calculated Mountains], graduation thesis. Oddelek za

46 TERENSKA NOTICA / FIELD NOTE

biologijo, Univerza v Ljubljani, Ljubljana, 100 Selva N. (2004): The role of scavenging in the pp. [in Slovenian with English abstract] predator community of Białowieża Primeval Forest (), Ph.D. thesis. Polish Academy of Paquet P.C. (1991): Winter Spatial Relationships of Sciences, Poland and University of Sevilla, Wolves and Coyotes in Riding Mountain Sevilla, Spain, 202 pp. National Park, Manitoba. J. . 72/2: 397- 401.

Figure 1. Footprints of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) (left) and the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) (right) on the Snežnik plateau, southern Slovenia, 30 Jan 2007 (photo: Miha Krofel). Slika 1. Stopinji evrazijskega risa (Lynx lynx) (levo) in rjavega medveda (Ursus arctos) (desno) na Snežniški planoti, južna Slovenija, 30.1.2007 (foto: Miha Krofel).

Figure 2. Mapped tracks of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) and Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) on the Snežnik plateau in southern Slovenia. Contour line interval is 10 meters. See text for details of observations at points A, B, C, and D. Slika 2. Vrisani poti evrazijskega risa (Lynx lynx) in rjavega medveda (Ursus arctos) na Snežniški planoti, južna Slovenija. Ekvidistanca med plastnicami znaša 10 m. Opažanja na točkah A, B, C in D so opisana v besedilu.